Transfer week!!!!

So this last week was the first week of transfers, and it was a busy week. I loved every moment of it though.

So Monday towards the end of emailing I checked an email from President Pingree, and he asked me to give him a call when I had a couple of minutes. He said he wanted to talk to me about transfers. So I went out of the room from where my companions were. No worries, I was still in sight and sound of them so we are good! But I called President Pingree, and he then on the phone asked me if I would be willing to come and serve as and assistant in the office! This came out of no where!! I was pretty dang nervous, but I accepted the call, and told him I would do my best!! 

   Well Tuesday was transfers, and I just kinda was walking around the parking lot helping missionaries get on there ways. After we loaded up the trailer with the luggage for the departing missionaries. I felt so weird doing this, but we then had the chance to go and take these missionaries around to different trainings and to the temple that day!! We got to go through and go to the temple with them. It was such a blessing! 

After we went to the temple, we went to take them to the mission home for a dinner and a devotional!! And it was such a great devotional! The Testimonies were so powerful and sincere! Many of the missionaries that have gone home this transfer I became close to!! They are all so great! We then went to take the elders back to our apartment for the night. We had to then drop the transfer van of at the mission office and pick up our van. After having to get some other things ready we got back to our apartment at about 10:30.

   Wednesday we went and began to pick up the departing missionaries and took them back to the mission home for breakfast. They ate breakfast, and then we were off to the airport. I had to say goodbye to some of those missionaries that I came close to. It was hard, but I was happy, and thankful for all that they did. After we dropped them off and got them checked in we went back to the mission office to start filing some different reports. 

We were expecting the new missionaries to come in that day around 1:30 pm.  We got back to the airport around 1:15, and we ran in there to get there in time. Well we had a big storm that came through, and caused all of the flights to be delayed. We were waiting at the airport for about 3-4 hours waiting for our missionaries to come in. During this time me and my new companion Elder Hillebrant had the opportunity to eat lunch with President Pingree, Sister Pingree, and their daughter Kate. I twas such a great experience to be with them!  It is going to be hard to see them go. We love them so much! I know President Mortensen will be great also! I am excited for things I will learn from him, but I will for sure miss the Pingrees. 

   Well we finally picked up the new missionaries. We greeted them right as they came off the plane! After talking with them for a little bit got there luggage, and we brought  them back to the mission office for some training. While they were in training we were doing more reports on the computer. Then after we went to the mission home and had a dinner and devotional! All of these missionaries have such a great spirit about them! I know they will do so great! 

   Thursday we had the training meeting for new missionaries and their new companions. We had the chance to take the new missionaries to another room and present some different training for them. Again they have such a strong spirit that they bring with them, and we had a great meeting and training. After that we got them on there way, and we went back to the mission office after lunch to do some more numbers and transfer things. 

But that afternoon we got the chance to go out and meet our ward mission leader. His name is Moroni, and so everytime I see him I call him Captain. He is so cool, and he is all about helping hasten the work! I think we will see some great miracles with him. 

  Friday we had some more things in the office, but then we went and taught one of our investigators named Kyle. He is pretty cool, we are trying to work with him to read the Book of Mormon. That is really what he needs right now. So after we had a good lesson with him, we left and as we drove away, we saw he was in the parking lot reading out of The Book of Mormon. It was great! 

Saturday we did our bed route. We basically went and drove around the mission the whole day delivering mattresses, and other items. We had to go get mattress from some apartments that no longer had 3 missionaries and take them to apartments that then needed an extra bed. We were at the office from 10-11:30ish. Then we began to sing as we drove and drove and drove. and drove. We didn't get home that night until about 9:40 pm. It was a long day, but it was so good! We got that finished and we were happy!

  

They told me that the first and last week of every transfer can be crazy at points, but from now on things will slow down a little bit! We are trying to be out and working at every moment we get. I love this chance. It is also so crazy, because next Monday we will be going to the airport with President and Sister Pingree to get the new mission President and their family. 

Sorry this email was so long, but just wanted to give y'all and update! Things are going well here! I love this new opportunity that I have! I have felt so blessed my whole mission to be out here and to work! I love this gospel so much! I can't wait to get back out and to work hard! This is such a great work we get to be apart of! Please be anxiously engaged in helping hasten the work! I know it will bless your life more than anything else!

Hope y'all have a great week!

Elder Joshua V. Christensen

I will sent more pics next week, I left my cord at the apartment, but if you go the the mission blog there are some good pics on there from our week! (Pictures in the post above are from the mission blog).